There's only one "good stuff" at Gino's USNR. That's the charred pepperoni.

I've tried to recreate it at home. Mine tastes burnt. Don't know how they do it, but it's amazing.

Personally I love the very thin crust pizza served in Italy with mushrooms. Piazza funghi! Too yummy.

I too, loveitly, prefer the thin crust pizza rather than the "Botox" crust

Walter, I'm pretty sure my mussels were in the shell. They weren't on a pizza, I just got sidetracked from the subject of the post when Scarlett mentioned mussels in Paris!

Indy, with all your wonderful descriptions of meals on your trips, it IS surprising that you don't cook!

Hi Mimi! Oh to be in Italy right now eating one of their wonderful pizza's. Oh sigh! And mussel's in the shell. Oh yes, Susan, that would be wonderful also. Good grief, we all need to charter a plane to Europe so we could all eat our favorite food, LOL. Plus the fantastic wine, chocolates, pastries etc. etc. We need to start a 12 step program for all of us, LOL.

We do marvelous mussels, Indy, let me know if you like them so I can decide on the menu.

I think the original poster is a little confused. In Italy, "peperoni" are peppers. There are many varieties of dried sausages and salami in Italy, and some of them are a little bit like American "pepperoni," but better. People may have been ordering pizza with one of these types of salame on it. The pizza menu may also have listed "peperone" as an option, but that would've been a pizza with pepper (maybe roasted or fried red pepper) on it.

Some of the best pizza I have ever eaten was at a little place in Naples. About a 30 minute walk from the train station. They only served two types. marinara- tomatoe and basil (no chese) and margherita- tomatoe, basil and cheese (fresh, wonderful bufalo mozzerella). You sat at a comunal table with dozens of locals and folded and cut it with a knife an fork. Last year it only cost 6 euros for a pizza and a beer! Absolutely changed my outlook on pizza. Kinda makes it hard to order from the local Pizza ___ at home.

SusanP I do love my food, but I leave it up to the professionals. I consider myself a "cook" not a "chef."

A simply grilled steak or fish, garlic mashed potatoes, a lightly steamed veggie with butter is my speed. A bearnaise, seared foie or a heavy cream sauce is beyond me.

Sometimes I think I keep it that way on purpose. If I could make a whisky peppercorn cream sauce at home I'd weigh so much it would be first class only for me to fly.

Mimi, pizza on Botox? You're killin' me. Too funny!

OK, in Chicago if you don't like deep dish go for the thin crust at Eduardo's. It's excellent. Though I'd be sitting next to you eating Eduardo's to-die-for stuffed spinach monster.

Well, Indy, your at-home menu doesn't sound bad, either!

Cigale, pizza crust on Botox...now there's an interesting concept. I have to admit that I like both thin & thick crusts.

I was thinking Angelina Jolie's lips, you know, she who's lips enter the room first
You see that inflated crust rather than the feast

botox was the wrong word. Whatever it is that inflates those lips!... lol

Indy,

All chef means is cook. That was the cold slap in the face I got day one in culinary school. Although I do like the sound of Chef better

steroids plump you up and silicon (sp?) puffs up your lips.

My favorite pizzas are the Margarita in Naples or anywhere in Southern Italy.

Actually the wild mushroom pizza on the wheat crust is really pretty good at California Pizza Kitchen here in US.

The actresses get collagen injections to plump up their lips and give them that beesting appearance.

I know I've mentioned my son's preference of seeking out pizza Margherita absolutely everywhere we go. Can someone eat this for supper every night for weeks on end? Apparently yes - and still come back for more! The cheapest he's found was at a Turkish place in Berlin for 3 Euros for a whole pizza.

No, I was not confused about pepperoni vs. peppers. I SAW the pepperoni on the pizza...it was a by the slice place. I even asked the guy behind the counter if it was pepperoni and an English woman who ordered it confirmed that it was as well. They did also have "hot dog" and "sausage" pizza.

>All chef means is cook.

Actually it means "chief", as in jefe.
The "chef de cuisine" (chief of the kitchen) is the head cook.

Okay, now I'm drooling over the thought of a thin crust pizza I had in Rome with anchovies - the called it Pizza Napoli - and I wish I was right back there stuffing it in.

Hey Indy, the TN Trio of Terror is going to Chicago in September so I might try your pizza recommendation. You are my personal "king of all good things to eat" after your last trip report.

Sorry, it is collagen, I don't know what I was thinking or writing!